Only a Year
by aelitacodelyoko
Summary: Yumi is a Senior in High School and just about to Graduate. How will she and Ulrich be able to handle the idea of a year away from each other? I'm starting a new story, and I'm not quite sure how to synthesize my ideas. Bear with me. YxU
1. Goodbye

**Only a Year**

**Chapter 1: Goodbye**

Yumi turned away from him. She couldn't bear to see him this way, sad and confused. "This is the way is has to be right now. I don't want to hurt you later." She held back the tears that were forming in her eyes. One tear broke free and slid down her face, landing on her top. She reached up and wiped the streak away.

"It doesn't have to be like this. We can get through this. We always get through everything," he pleaded. "This doesn't have to stop. Please, Yumi."

She couldn't even turn to look at him. She knew how he looked. It was how he always looked when he was upset, arms down at his sides, hands balled into fists, and one twitching eyebrow. His eyes were always the worst, never crying but always full of pain.

"I'm sorry. I want to make this work, but I just don't want to be disappointed. It'll be easier if I leave now."

"Yumi," he begged. "Please don't do this. Let's talk about this. It's only a year. One year away from each other, and then I'll be right there with you again. We can make it."

"Ulrich, please stop," Yumi insisted on the verge of tears. "I've been disappointed before, and I just don't want that to happen again. It'll be better if I let you go now. It will give you more time to adjust before the time actually comes for me to leave." She fought back the tears, but another one caught her off guard and slipped down her face. Suddenly, she felt a hand wrap around her wrist. She knew whose it was. There was no way she would ever be able to forget those hands. "Please let go of me."

Her words stung, worse than if they had been cold and unfeeling. He tried to ignore them without much success. "Yumi, at least turn to look at me. Talk to me about this."

She slowly turned and came face to face with everything that she feared. His eyes were filled with hurt. She could hardly look at his face. She looked to the left of him, not quite containing the tears that were beginning to flow freely.

"I love you, Yumi. We can make this work. It's only..."

"A year?" she finished for him, cutting off his words. "I graduate in less than a week, and what happens after that?"

"We have a whole summer to be together," he urged.

"And after that?" she asked as she shook her head. She couldn't think about the summer now, only the long months she would spend away from him. "I'm going to college, Ulrich. I'll be over 3 hours away. That's not a leisurely Sunday drive. We won't be able to see each other. You'll see other girls here. I'll see guys there. How do you know it would work: us being together? People change over the course of a year. It's hard enough when together. Ulrich, it seems almost impossible."

She looked away again and wiped her eyes with her free hand. "We're better off breaking up now. It'll make things easier for us...for you."

Ulrich took both of her hands into his own. She looked down at them and then up into his eyes. "Yumi, when have I ever taken the easy way out? We do the impossible every day. I love you, and I'm not giving up this easily."

"Ulrich, what if this doesn't work. What if we meet other people?" She turned her head and took a deep breath. "I'm so scared..." And then the words were out. They cut to the core of the problem. The fear of being separated was weighing down on top of the fear of college itself.

Ulrich took a deep breath and smiled at her, even if she didn't see. "And you have a right to be. This is all going to be new for you. I'm scared too. But, I'd kick myself every day of my life if I let you slip away without a fight." He squeezed her hands. She turned and he looked into her eyes. "It's only a year. We can do this."

Yumi smiled hesitantly, relieved that she would not have to leave him, but scared because she knew she would have to leave him. Ulrich smiled at her reassuringly. He let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her. He had finally outgrown her this year by an inch or so. Her head fell perfectly on his shoulder and chest. She held onto him, taking a deep breath, bringing in his irresistible aroma. "I'm just so scared you'll forget about me, and we'll never see each other," she whispered, her lips just barely brushing against his ear.

He squeezed her tighter. "I could never forget about you, Yumi," he hushed. "I'll come to visit you over the holiday and anytime I get a chance. I'll call you every week. I'll never forget you. I love you."

"I love you too, Ulrich," she whispered. "I'm just scared. We only have this summer left...and I just don't know what I'll do if...if you don't..."

"Shhh," he hushed. "It's going to be ok. It's only a year." He pulled her closer and ran his fingers through her hair and down her back. "Please don't cry." She tried to relax against his chest, the tears slowing. "Shhh. It's all going to be wonderful. I promise. It's only a year."

**I'm trying something new for once. **

**Give me your honest opinion.**

**I'd really love to hear it.**


	2. Graduation

**Here's the next installment**

**I hope you enjoy it**

**Only a Year**

**Chapter 2: Graduation**

Yumi reached down and pulled on her other shoe, a strappy high heel. It was one of the only occasions she would ever wear heels.

"Hurry, Yumi. You'll be late!" her mother called from the bottom of the staircase. "Your brother and father are already heading to school."

"I'm almost ready! I'll be down in a second!" Yumi called. She stood up and stopped in front of her mirror. Her dark hair barely grazed the top of her shoulders, meeting her red dress. Aelita and Sissi helped her choose. It was a tight fit that stopped a little above the knees, a bit more striking than one she would have chosen for herself. She quickly put on her necklace and ran a brush through her hair for the last time before running down the stairs.

-m-

"Where is she? Do you see her?" Ulrich asked in the commotion. Hundreds of bodies were wandering around at the edge of the football field trying to find their place or locate friends and family.

"I don't see her, Ulrich. Maybe she's already with the rest of the class," Aelita insisted. "If we don't go sit down soon, we won't have a good seat."

"Come on, good buddy. You'll see each other at the reception!" Odd added, glancing around, half looking for Yumi, half trying to find a seat. "Aelita's probably right anyway."

"Just a couple more minutes. I wanted to wish her luck," Ulrich murmured.

Odd sighed and looked to Aelita for help. "I don't wanna stand the whole time," he mouthed to her. Aelita gave him a stern look but nodded. She placed a hand on Ulrich's shoulder. He glanced down at her quickly before he continued to look for Yumi.

"Maybe Odd should go save us some seats? It would be easy to find him. I can stay and help you look for her for a little while," she stated calmly. Odd smiled at her and hurried off before receiving the ok. Ulrich muttered something that sounded like general acceptance. Aelita rolled her eyes in Odd's direction and smiled. He was already long gone. She noticed him take a seat toward the middle of the chairs but near the front. He had apparently found Sissi.

Aelita directed her attention back toward the task at hand. Yumi could be anywhere in the crowd, but at least she knew that she'd be wearing red. After fifteen minutes of shifting through the crowd, Ulrich finally gave up, and they decided to head back to their seats.

Many of the families were heading to their own seats. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins were all at the school for the big occasion. The football field had been transformed into a stage and a couple hundred chairs were placed in front of the bleachers to provide ample seats for everyone. Odd waved to Aelita and Ulrich and patted the seats next to him, one on each side. Aelita took the seat between him and Sissi and directed her attention to the stage in front of her.

"Ulrich, look," she stated and pointed toward the right side of the stage. Ulrich followed her finger and tried to figure out what she wanted him to see. The senior class was beginning to line up, some of them just now putting on their gowns. Halfway down the line, Yumi was standing there, zipping up her own gown over her dress.

Ulrich smiled to her although he knew she wouldn't see. "Good luck, Yumi," he whispered under his breath. He turned back toward Aelita and nodded. The crowd slowly began to hush as Mr. Delmas reached center stage.

The program continued like any average graduation. Mr. and Mrs. Ishiyama sat like the rest of the parents, smiling politely and proudly. Tears of joy came to the mothers as their sons and daughters crossed the stage and received their diplomas. The trail of students came and went. The crowd applauded and cheered as the class threw up their hats in excitement. Their high school experience was at a close and the door to college was opening for them.

Yumi made her way through the crowd to embrace her parents.

"Congratulations, Yumi," her father stated and smiled proudly at her. "We are so pleased at your accomplishments." She nodded at him from within her mother's arms. Mrs. Ishiyama was crying slightly.

"It's ok mom," Yumi said with a smile as her friends arrived. "It's just graduation."

Aelita laughed and helped to remove Yumi from the embrace. Mrs. Ishiyama smiled and wiped her eyes. "Congrats, Yumi!" Aelita wished cheerfully. She quickly hugged her and posed for a picture. Odd grabbed Yumi next, followed by Sissi, Herve, William, and a couple more. At the end of the long line of friends was Ulrich.

Yumi and Ulrich met eyes before they reached each other. Time nearly stopped for the two of them and the hugeness of the graduation fell between them. Ulrich's eyes held both happiness and sorrow, excitement and fear, love and hate. He couldn't figure out whether he should sulk or smile. The summer was beginning. Not just the summer, the last summer. Yumi saw all of this in the two seconds that their eyes met. Her face flushed, full of worry and doubt but also anticipation. Graduation meant college, one of the greatest times in her life, and yet the first year would be spent away from Ulrich.

Ulrich moved forward and pulled her into his arms. The weight on both of their shoulders slid off for the moment. Ulrich smiled hesitantly. The crowd seemed to hush as Yumi pressed into him. He moved his lips to her ear. "You did an excellent job. Congratulations."

And the moment ended.

"Let's get a picture, you too!" Mrs. Ishiyama called. She pulled out her camera and smiled at the two of them. Ulrich quickly kissed her cheek and turned to face the camera. Yumi blushed slightly and smiled with Ulrich's arm as a comforting presence behind her back. "Ok, good! Yumi, Yumi, let's get one with your brother. "

Ulrich's hand slid behind her back and to her hand. He quickly squeezed it as Mrs. Ishiyama pulled on the other one. Yumi's eyes locked onto his. She smiled sympathetically as she slipped from his grasp.

Odd came up behind Ulrich and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, buddy. She'll be back." Ulrich didn't bother to turn his head to look at Odd. He watched as Yumi was pulled from place to place for photo ops.

Aelita slid in between the two of them. "Hey, you guys. Don't just stand around. We need to go get ready for dinner. Besides, I left my gift back in the dorm." Neither one of them made a move. She rolled her eyes at Sissi who shrugged.

"Come on, you two," Aelita said and grabbed each of their hands. "We'll meet them at the restaurant."

Ulrich looked down at her and nodded, finally giving a small smile. Odd started glowing at the sound of food and squeezed Aelita's hand. "Alright, princess. Lead the way."

**I'll try to update sometime when I get a chance. **

**Please Review**


	3. Dinner and a Movie

**These chapters are pretty short right now, but once I get rolling with the idea I'll make them longer I promise.  
Also, Sorry about the delay between chapters.  
I hope you enjoy.  
Read and Review please!**

**Only A Year**

**Chapter 3: Dinner and a Movie**

"Open mine first, Yumi!" Odd shouted, his mouth full of potatoes. "Mine's the one with the red bow on top!"

Yumi smiled and laughed. "Alright, Odd. You're first." She reached for his gift and set it in front of her. Around her, her parents and brother sat chatting with each other. Her mother smiled at her, so proud of her daughter. Ulrich sat directly to Yumi's right. His left hand rested on her thigh, his fingertips barely brushing her skin, his palm resting on the skirt of her dress. The rest of her friends seemed to fade into a warm glow. The entire restaurant seemed to fade into the background. All she could think about was Ulrich and his fingers. She smiled and placed her hand on top of his for only a moment.

Yumi reached back up and began to unwrap the gift. "Odd! It's beautiful! Thank you!" She pulled out a picture of the four of them. It was hand-drawn in oil pastel on black paper and was framed in elegant silver.

"I did it all from memory, but I took a few candid shots to get the expressions right," Odd said, his mouth still full.

He was right. Their faces were perfect. Odd's smile was an exquisite depiction of his goofy self. Ulrich had a slightly hidden sweet look. Aelita looked elated. Yumi was sophisticated, yet strong. Yumi looked up from the image with a few tears in the corner of her eyes.

"Odd, it's perfect. Thank you so much."

Ulrich squeezed Yumi's thigh slightly and took the picture from her. He placed it on top of another box and grabbed a bag from off the floor. "Whose gift is this?" he asked as he placed it in front of Yumi.

Sissi acknowledged it and smiled as she waited for Yumi to open it. She reached inside and pulled out a sparkling charm bracelet. Sissi smiled. "Do you like it? I wasn't sure what to get you, but I figured that every girl could use a little more jewelry in her life."

"It's beautiful, Sissi," she stated in awe. Indeed it was. It was silver and red with a dozen little charms on it. "This must've cost a lot."

Sissi smiled and shook her head. "It's no big deal."

"Well, thank you. It was very thoughtful of you," Yumi replied sweetly and placed the bracelet back into the bag.

The rest of the evening went similarly. She received a card and some money from Nicholas and Herve. Her parents gave her a mini fridge for her dorm room. Hiroki bought her a new jacket with the money he had been saving. Aelita gave her a journal that she wrapped and decorated herself. Ulrich, however, kept his gift a secret. He mentioned that it wasn't the proper place for it.

As the meal died down and the presents were all opened, each of them parted. Herve and Nicholas left first, and Sissi quickly followed. By 10, only Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, and Aelita were left.

"Hey, Yumi, we can head back to my dorm and watch a movie if you want to celebrate," Aelita suggested.

Ulrich squeezed her thigh gently, but just enough to surprise her. She blushed slightly but maintained control. "I don't know, Aelita. Maybe we should do it another night. You and Odd can watch one if you want to though. Don't let me ruin your night." Ulrich squeezed her thigh again and she giggled a tiny bit.

Aelita smiled and grabbed Odd's hand. She stood up and grabbed her purse. "Alright, Odd. Let's go. I can take a hint. Don't get into too much trouble, you two. Odd can stay in my room tonight. He'll just grab his pajamas and clothes for tomorrow. We'll be out by 10:30. I'll see you tomorrow," Aelita said with a laugh before she and Odd ran out together.

"Have fun, good buddy!" Odd shouted behind him, laughing on the way out.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Ulrich turned to Yumi. "I was hoping you'd turn her down."

She laughed and her eyes sparkled as she looked at him. "Well, you dropped more than just a subtle hint."

Ulrich blushed a bit and went to move his hand. She reached down and placed her hand on his before he could move it away. "I don't mind though. I was hoping you would hint at it." She smirked and bit at her bottom lip. As she watched for his response, she began combing her fingers through her hair.

"I guess we can go back to the dorms then," Ulrich affirmed, his eyebrow only slightly twitching. "If you think they'll be finished."

Yumi smiled mischievously. "Let's give them a couple more minutes. I don't know about you, but I'd like to take a walk through the park on the way back."

Ulrich raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly, trying to figure out the reason for her sneaky smile. "A walk sounds nice." He stood up and pulled out her chair. "After you," he said as he held out his hand. Yumi chuckled and took his hand.

-m-

"Come on, Odd. It's one night! You need one outfit and pajamas! We need to get out of here before Yumi and Ulrich come back. It's already passed 10:30!" Aelita nagged at him and started throwing his clothes back into his drawer. "This room needs to look decent for when they come in!"

"Calm down, Aelita. It's a dorm room, not a honeymoon suite! It's just graduation anyway," Odd said with a laugh and continued to dig through his clothes. "Besides, I need the perfect outfit! I can't just wear anything."

Aelita rolled her eyes. Then, suddenly, she came across a brilliant idea. She stood up and went behind Odd, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Odd," she whispered into his ear, "you don't really need the perfect outfit. I like anything you wear." She reached over his chest and picked up a pair of jeans that he had in his hands as well as the purple shirt next to it. "Just grab these. They're not that important to me anyway." She dropped the clothes into his hands and ran her fingers up his chest and she stood back up.

Odd laughed and quickly threw the clothes in a bag and grabbed his pajamas from off the bed. Aelita shoved the remaining clothes into the drawer and picked up his homework and put it on the desk.

"Alright, princess," Odd said with a smirk. "Let's go!" He grabbed his bag and threw it over his shoulder then reached for the doorknob. With his other hand, he grabbed hers. Right as he was about to turn the handle, he paused and suddenly turned around and caught her by surprise. His face was only inches away from hers. Aelita struggled to keep from laughing as Odd's face lit up in a huge grin.

"Remember," he whispered. "Be quick, be quiet, and don't get caught."

Aelita smiled, still trying not to laugh, and nodded in understanding. Right before he turned around, she gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I'm quick."

Odd laughed and turned the knob.

They snuck down the hallway, going as quickly as they could without making the floorboards creak or the walls shake. Only once they got to the stairs did they finally slow down. They lightly tiptoed down the stairs, trying not to make more noise than they had to. When they reached the bottom, it was a quick dash to Aelita's room. Odd kept watch for Jim while Aelita unlocked her room as quickly as she could.

"C'mon c'mon! Open it, open it!" Odd whispered, moving his eyes from Aelita's hands to the shadows down the hallway. "I think someone's coming."

"I'm going as fast as I can!" she whispered. Faint footsteps could be heard as she finally got the door unlocked and opened. They slid in and shut the door as quickly as they could. Odd leaned against the door and slid to the floor.

"That was exciting," he said with a huge smile. "Let's do it again." Aelita laughed and moved to sit next to him with her back on the door as well.

"I think I'll pass," she said with a small laugh. "If we get caught, we'd be in so much trouble."

"That's the exciting part! We can't get caught. It's the trill of knowing we're doing something against the rules," Odd boasted. Aelita quickly put her finger to his lips.

"You're lucky that I agreed to this," she said with a smirk.

Odd laughed and grabbed her around the waist. She laughed and squirmed trying to get away. She began to crawl away on her hands and knees, but, before she could get anywhere, he dragged her back to him. "Don't give me that. You love this idea." He pulled her into his lap and she giggled.

"Ok, ok! Just choose a movie."


End file.
